Day 24: Seated Asanas (John)

Day 22: Teaching Assignment 2 (John)

• Rather than talking from the script in your head - be in the moment, walk around and find inspiration in the students
• Move around, don't get rooted in one spot. It helps the thought flow
• Space to breath versus space to think - people can tell if you're trying to figure out what to do next and will check out
• Owning the space includes time - take your time
• Not obligated to say everything you know about the pose

Day 21: Pranayama and Asana (John)

Bee pranayama

Day 18: How to Best Describe a Pose (John)

The best words that the most people understand
For example, instead of "engage the core," describe the physical action with "draw the belly in."

Day 17: A Day without John (Mimm)

Day 14: Connecting with Students (John)

You want to make an impact on the class as a whole, and a class is made out of individuals. Reach each student at some point during the session.

• Know your students' names
• Greet new students
• Avoid using students as examples

Adjustments

• Adjustments should be done with intention, not like limp handshakes
• Err on the side of safety - don't push, show them where to go
• Ask if they are ok - you don't know when people will snap or break

Day 13: First Teaching Assignment (John)

Wow, I'm pretty elated from today's class. We each led the class through a two pose sequence of our choice. There was a good variety- some taught on, some off their mats, some taught new moves, some winged it. We each got feedback from John, and some general tips:

• remind (don't tell) people to breathe - find ways to say it so that people don't tune it out
• remind them to breathe as often as possible
• begin every command with the breath
• don't say "um," say "breathe" instead
• own the room - fill it with your voice, walk around it

There's many things to say for each pose, besides the breath. Natalie suggested to us on Saturday to have three cues for getting into and out of each pose. And to ease transitions by first naming the pose then giving your cues. 

We do all of this well when leading sun salutations. For sun salutations we've settled into a consistent set of cues and language, which is appropriate for their pace and repetitiveness. But for poses that we hold longer I like how John finds creative ways to draw our attention to our breath and finding our "sukha" in each pose. I think that is the next challenge.

Day 10: MAPS and Make-ups (John&Mimm)

Day 9: Asana (John&Mimm)

Day 6: (John&Mimm)

Day 5: Three C's of Teaching (John)

Day 2: Three Things to Remember as a Yoga Teacher (John)

1) Always remain a student
Keep your ego in check. Be open minded

2) Keep Practicing
This is the source of your creativity. Teaching class doesn't count; you have to practice for yourself. You need to keep teaching from your own experience. Practice with a journal nearby to jot down any ideas.

3) Lead as a Role Model
Know what it means to be a yoga teacher, what people associate with you. Yoga is a physical practice infused with spiritual philosophy, so people might look to you for guidance in more than just asanas. It's your responsibility to realize that and live up to that role.

And another thing that isn't something to do so much as it is a reality you may or may not notice - you will attract people who like you and who are like you. There will always be people who like you and people who don't. So whatever your teaching style, keep it yours.